


darling

by g0ldendays



Category: Formula 2 RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:14:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22791556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/g0ldendays/pseuds/g0ldendays
Summary: Callum calls everyone 'darling'. Not everyone handles it as well.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 82





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eliotthawke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliotthawke/gifts).



> This is, in all honesty, the most ridiculous thing I've ever written. It was hella fun. You know the drill, no romance, just silly feeder series kids things.
> 
> As always, dedicated to my best friend who helped me come up with these ridiculous scenarios.

Callum has a habit of saying ‘darling’ too much. Half of it is probably nature, the other half is enjoying the many different responses he gets. It’s always fun dropping it into a conversation and seeing the other person go wide-eyed or look at him questioningly. He doesn’t mean anything by it, isn’t flirting with anyone, but sometimes it just happens to slip out. 

Most of his friends are used to it by now but he always tries it on new people, or ones he doesn’t see often. After all, there isn’t any harm in just messing with people, right? No one ever takes it seriously after all.

* * *

Juan is used to his antics by now. They used to drive to the track together in the mornings when they were both barely awake and Callum’s brain-to-mouth filter worked even less than usual. Callum remembers one particular morning where Juan decided to video them for Instagram while he was driving and he didn’t even blink when Callum said ‘my darling’. To be fair, he did say it a lot and Juan was hardly a stranger to pet names. Actually, Callum is convinced Juan refuses to respond to anything other than pet names at this point, not even to his first name. 

There was one afternoon in Budapest that reinforced that belief, where they were both bored and didn’t feel like going back to the hotel just yet after the sessions and briefings were done for the day. Juan and Callum had been walking around the paddock aimlessly before spotting the Prema awning at the same time. Without a word, they had headed for it, only to find Jüri already there, throwing Cheetos at Marcus’ head. Marcus, used to Jüri’s antics, was ignoring the Cheeto dust in his hair and eating the ones he caught. It wasn’t new to them to hang out at the Italian team they’d all been a part of some years earlier and they knew they were always welcome there. Juan confiscated the Cheetos from Jüri, who pulled a face but made no move to reclaim his stolen chips. 

“Thank you,” Mick said, in the tone of an exasperated mother whose children finally stopped arguing. Juan shrugged and started eating the chips. If there was anyone who could stop Jüri from doing stupid shit, it was Juan. Though usually he encouraged it and actively participated in said stupid shit. 

“Juan, can you hand me the bag?” Callum asked and got no response. “Hello?” Juan didn’t take his eyes off his phone and continued eating. Fine. “Darling, can I have the chips?” Without looking up, Juan handed over the bag. 

“Here you go, honeybuns.” 

“Darling?” Jüri repeated in an incredulous tone. “Really, you listen to that?” Juan shrugged.

“Are you jealous, pumpkin?” Callum grinned. Jüri yanked the bag out of his hands and threw a Cheeto at his head. Callum could’ve sworn it was just to hide his blush. Hm. Interesting. But he’d let Jüri live for now. He’d file this information away for another time, when he could use it to get something out of Jüri. 

So, yes. Juan was used to this kind of behaviour for him, probably did it a lot to his younger siblings as well. Jüri, not so much. He’d get him used to it eventually.

* * *

The first few times he’d called Marcus pet names he’d gotten various reactions but these days his main response was just eye-rolling or sighing. Which only encouraged Callum to do it more. He’d just arrived at their flat in Italy for some Ferrari duties before the season started in Bahrain and he knew what would annoy Marcus the most straight off the bat. He opened the front door and smelled that Marcus was making dinner - right on time. “What’s cooking, good-”

“Finish that sentence and there will be no dinner,” Marcus deadpanned without even turning around. 

“Fine, how about ‘honey, I’m home’?” Callum retorted with a grin, dropping his backpack in a corner and going about setting the tiny dinner table they had crammed into the kitchen. Marcus sighed. “Happy to have me home, darling?”

“Shut up.”

* * *

He’s got a thing going with Jack. Unsurprisingly, the first time he called Jack ‘darling’, his fellow Brit had shot it right back at him and things had gotten slightly out of hand from there. Jack wasn’t one to back down from a challenge and neither was Callum, so since the start of the season they had been trading pet names, getting increasingly more ridiculous to the point where no one even blinked anymore at the two of them hollering pet names at each other across the paddock. 

It was even a challenge to get the first pet name of the day in so Callum thought he’d finally beat Jack to it today. “Good morning, baby cakes,” he said cheerfully, having just arrived in the F2 paddock and sensing someone behind him. He threw his bag down in the general direction of his side of the Virtuosi awning, not expecting silence as response. When he turned around, he noticed it wasn’t actually Jack behind him but Christian, who Callum hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to just yet. And who was now staring at him with wide eyes, like a deer caught in the headlights. 

“Uh,” Christian started. “Good morning to you too?”

“Oh, I thought you were Jack, but good morning to you as well, darling.”

“Okay. I’m just. I think I’m gonna walk away now,” Christian said and Callum nodded thoughtfully.

“Yes, I think they might need you over at ART.” And that ended that strange encounter. Maybe he did scare Christian off, but considering the kid waved at him when he next saw him in the paddock, perhaps not. 

* * *

In contrast, Mick is just so tired of Callum’s antics. He tried to correct him at first, saying he’d probably need to save the pet names for ‘special people’ in his life, but gave up on that when Callum argued all the people in his life were special in their own way. He still stood by that, even if it had just been to annoy Mick. It was a sunny day and the season was well underway. Callum was in a great mood after a good qualifying session which resulted in pole, when he spotted Mick in the paddock. “Well hello darling,” he said cheerfully, making a detour to greet his friend. 

Mick gave him a look at that and said “Congratulations on your pole, mate. Well done.”

“One day I will get you to say it back.” Callum sighed dramatically and clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks darling.”

* * *

At the end of the season, Callum and Jack couldn’t quite figure out who had won the pet name challenge - even when they had kept it up all year long. “Have a good winter break,  _ mi amor _ ,” Callum said with a theatrical gesture. Hey, he did learn something in the Italian classes Ferrari made them take.

“It’s been fun, sugar plum,” Jack replied without missing a beat. “Though I still think I won, if only for the use of ridiculous pet names.”

“Agree to disagree, love muffin.” And that was the end of that.


	2. princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is wholly inspired by [this Instagram post](https://www.instagram.com/p/CAqGxzlBKrX/) and Juan's reply to it. I love those boys so much and I absolutely adore that they're all kissing emojis and loving teasing with each other, no fragile masculinity to be found here. 
> 
> Anyway if any team sees this (hope not lmao) I will literally pay you to get Juan and Callum back together. They're great PR.
> 
> Also, in terms of content warnings: this chapter contains references to the accident in Spa. It does not go into detail and I've tried avoiding using it as a plot point. It is mentioned because it's something that happened, had a big impact on these boys and presumably on their relationship as well. No descriptions or any elaborate thoughts on it, however. That's not something I want to dive into given what happened. It's just a brief mention in the first paragraph but do be warned.
> 
> For the rest, this is just a fun little addition! Couldn't help myself after that post.

Callum's not quite sure what prompted him to post those pictures again. He's posted the first one before, he's very sure of that. Yeah, he posted it right after Spa, he remembers now, just to wish Juan a speedy recovery. He still thinks it's one of their best pictures together, vaguely remembers it being taken in Budapest at the Hungaroring. It was hot, they were a little loopy from the heat and probably a bit nervous for the race as well, and Juan had spotted a photographer. He had instantly pulled Callum in by his waist, making them both laugh like idiots. 

The second picture has been sitting in his camera roll for a long time. Maybe Juan's teasing in the group chat was what pushed him to post them both on his Instagram. The fans are clearly loving it and Callum has to be honest, they're great pictures. They look happy, unbothered, almost like a couple. He snorts at that thought just as his phone alerts him to a new reply from the man himself. 

Of course Juan left a comment. "Kisses for the princess", it reads. Callum rolls his eyes and switches to his messaging app. _Princess, really?_ is what he texts Juan. Not even half a minute later, he receives an incoming call from Juan.

"Well hello, my queen," Callum says in a sickly sweet tone as he answers.

All he gets is Juan's laugh ringing in his ears. "It was a great opportunity, I couldn't let that slide," he says once he's done laughing. "I forgot about the second photo, to be honest."

“Yeah, me too,” Callum answers. “But I was just scrolling through my photos and when I saw it, I had to post it. But princess, really? You couldn’t have thought of a better phrase?” 

“You do look like the damsel in distress I just saved,” Juan counters. “Besides, it always makes Juri turn red when I call him that.”

Callum snickers. Now that’s some interesting information he’ll have to file away for later use. They’re silent for a bit, but that’s okay. They’ve known each other a while, they’re pretty good friends and silence between them is rarely awkward. “How are you?” is what he eventually asks. He hears a dog barking in the background and some distant Spanish, probably Juan’s little sister.

“Yeah, alright,” Juan answers. It seems like a standard answer, one he doesn’t really mean, but Callum knows otherwise. If Juan wasn’t doing well, he’d answer things were shit. “Just training, you know. I still suck at F1 2019, but I would absolutely kick your ass at CoD.”

Callum huffs. “No, you wouldn’t. I’m not actually that bad. And credit where credit’s due, that one foot really is more talented than most of the grid.”

Juan laughs. “I’m terrible at the game but that’s fine. It’s fun to do and it’s nice to stay involved now that the season’s on hold and I’m stuck here at home.” 

“To be fair, we’re all stuck at home,” Callum counters. “But I know what you mean. If things had been different and we’d be racing, it’d be hard to stay so close in touch with the racing world all the way from Miami.” 

Juan hums his agreement. “But let’s not get too deep there, princess.”

“Oh, shut up. Tell Juri hi from me when you speak to him.”

“Tell him yourself!” Juan protests. “I’m not a carrier pigeon. Also, lunch is ready so I gotta go. I’ll send you an invite for CoD, alright? See ya, princess.”

“Yeah, alright. Bye, my queen,” Callum says dramatically as he ends the call. His little sister raises an eyebrow from the other side of the room. “Juan,” is all he says and really, that’s enough for her to understand. They’ve always had a weird pet name thing going on. 

He ends up replying two kiss-blowing emojis to Juan’s comment.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I have nothing to say for myself.


End file.
